Asus preparing 12-inch tablet with Core i5 CPU for CES

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One of the most important aspects of a good tablet is that it be the sort of gadget that can hold a charge all day, but because of the realities of current battery technology, an all-day battery in a tablet inevitably means that it must have a low-voltage, power-sipping CPU.

No one seems to have told Asus this, though, as they are now readying their forthcoming Eee Pad EP121… which boasts a Core i5 CPU.

That right there is enough to arch an eyebrow and take notice. Most tablets like the Galaxy Tab and iPad use a combination of mobile operating systems and ARM-based CPUs for a reason: notebook and desktop CPUs simply draw way, way too much power.

While a Core i5 CPU might sound interesting in a tablet, it implies laptop battery life, which is unacceptable in a tablet. It also implies it’s going to run Windows 7, an operating system still wholly unsuited to multitouch.

Everything about the Eee Pad, in fact, looks like it would suit a laptop better, including the decision to use a 12-inch large screen. Other specs include HDMI, USB, a web cam, an SD card slot and 1080p video playback.

Whatever Asus has up their sleeves, it looks to be an entirely different beast than something like the iPad, that’s for sure.